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The news spread fast, a shock for all the students of Kunugigaoka middle. Karma himself would have never expected something like this, and he’d call bullshit if not for the frantic and startled way that Okajima had sprinted into the classroom.
“The principal’s son is coming to visit the school!”
The chatter in the classroom halts, turning in synchronisation to the boy, who was now bent over and gripping his knees tightly, panting.
“The principal’s what now?” Rio says.
“Son!” Okajima shrieks.
The principal has a son. Who knew! Certainly not them. Karma, curiosity brimming over, skips class to head down to the main campus. He wants to know if the guy is as shitty as his dad.
Karma pauses at the front doors to the main building. It just now occurred to him that he has no idea where this guy is. Damn.
Well, time to wander, he supposes.
Wandering is boring. He tries to distract himself by thinking up how to approach the mini principal. Hey there, your dad’s a dick, are you?
Karma snorts to himself. Then he rounds the corner and nearly trips over his own two feet.
There’s a very, very pretty boy there. Karma can only see his side profile, and only for a short amount of time before he disappears around the corner, fingers dragging across the wall.
His strawberry blond hair gives him away. That was the mini principal.
But holy fuck, Okajima never told him he was pretty!
Karma speeds up and jogs around the corner. Mini principal is still walking slowly, hand out and touching the wall. “Hey!” Karma calls, and the boy stops, body turning towards him slightly.
“Hello?” he says, head tilting, “Who are you?”
“Akabane Karma,” Karma greets, trotting up beside him and offering a hand, “Are you mini principal?”
“My name is Asano Gakushuu,” he muses, and Karma frowns when he doesn’t shake his outstretched hand, “But sure, that would be me.”
“Uh-huh,” Karma hums, tilting his head, “Why’re you visiting all the sudden?”
“I got curious,” Asano shrugs, “I’ve been homeschooled all my life, so I’ve never actually been inside a school before.”
“Lucky you,” Karma says bluntly, finally dropping his hand, “School’s not all that fun.”
Asano shrugs again. “Maybe not to some people,” he says, “But it is to me. Did you need something from me, actually? I thought classes were in session.”
“They are,” Karma confirms, scuffing his foot, “But I skipped ‘cause I was curious about you. We never knew our principal had a son.”
“Well, I’m here now,” Asano muses, and he starts moving again, hand dragging along the wall, “Though you shouldn’t skip your classes, Akabane-kun.”
“Eh,” Karma says, uncaring. He watches Asano walk for a bit, still taking slow methodical steps. He furrows his brow. Why’s he just letting him walk off again? The guy didn’t even give him a hand shake, let alone look him in the eye.
“Oi,” Karma calls, speed walking over, “Hang on a minute.”
Asano pauses again. Karma grabs his elbow and tugs him away from the wall, keeping a firm grip so he can’t run. Asano jumps slightly from the contact, hand going to rest over his own.
“Jeez, Akabane-kun,” he huffs, “You startled me.”
“Mhmm,” Karma says, “Why won’t you look me in the eye, Asano-kun? That’s pretty rude of you, y’know. Along with ignoring my handshake. Did the principal not teach you manners?”
Asano seems to blink—it’s a little difficult to tell through his bangs with the way his head is tilted down—and then he starts giggling. Karma falters slightly.
“Well, sorry, but,” he says, lifting a hand to push his bangs back. Karma stares at him, confused. His eyes are a rather pale, greyish purple.
Karma stares at him for a moment longer. Then it clicks.
“Fuck, sorry,” he says, immediately, face red, “I didn’t- man, I feel like an asshole.”
Asano laughs again, hand falling from his face to rest over the hand on his elbow once more, now holding on rather loosely.
“It’s fine,” he reassures lightly, “People don’t usually tend to notice.”
“Still,” Karma mumbles, scratching the back of his neck. He really just said he thought it was rude the blind guy ignored his handshake.
“Well,” Asano hums, “Why not lead me around the school, then?” He puts a finger to his lips, “I’m not actually supposed to be wandering the halls, so let’s try and avoid my dad.”
Karma snickers, and then loops their arms together. “Oki dokey!” he cheers, “Onward to adventure the school!”
Asano leans into him a little more when they start walking. Karma tries to support him best he can, keeping his pace slow. He thinks he knows where he wants to start.
—
“This is the garden,” he says, “It’s probably my favourite place on the main campus.”
“Oh?” Asano wonders, tilting his head up, “It does smell nice.”
“Mhm,” Karma says, and gently tugs him to the beds of chrysanthemum flowers, “I like these flowers, too.”
He takes Asanos hand and gently places it on the flower. Asano tilts his head a little, drifting his fingers over the petals.
“What color is it?” he asks, curious. Karma pauses.
“It’s yellow,” he says, “Like… uhm, the sun, I guess? But not super hot like red, like… like the sun beaming down on you with a breeze blowing on your face. Does that make sense?”
“Yes,” Asano muses, “It does. Thank you.”
Karma smiles happily. He leads him around the garden more, letting him touch all the flowers and trying to find ways to explain the colors to him.
“Uhm,” he mumbles, “This blue is… it’s like a gentle breeze, one that doesn’t make you shiver but is still cold against your skin.”
“That’s a lovely color,” Asano hums, “What about you, Akabane-kun? Do you have a favourite color?”
“A favourite color?” Karma repeats, “Not really. But if I had to choose, then… probably pink, actually. It’s the same color as my strawberry milk, and also the Sakura trees look nice.”
“Oh?” Asano wonders.
“Sakura trees have big trunks and kind of low hanging branches. They grow small petals that are a light pink, so like- actually, why don’t I buy you some strawberry milk? So you know what pink tastes like.”
“I’d like that a lot,” Asano says, smiling. Karma grins and starts guiding him to a vending machine.
There’s one not too far, but it’s out of the garden and more around the outside lunch area, tables scattered about that Karma carefully manoeuvres Asano around.
“This is my favourite drink,” he says, putting the money in and jabbing the drink option, “I have it all the time.”
Asano hums in interest. Karma leans down to pull out the carton, and is about to hand it to him, when he pauses and quickly takes the straw to poke it into the box. “Here,” he says, and Asano holds out a hand.
Karma pushes the carton into his hold, letting go once Asano curls his fingers around it. He unloops their arms for a moment to grasp at the straw and bring it to his mouth.
He makes a small sound of content, and Karma smiles happily. “It tastes good, right?” he says, watching. Asano pulls the carton back and nods.
“It does,” he agrees, smiling, “Thank you, Akabane-kun.”
“‘Course,” Karma chuckles, “And just call me Karma.”
“Alright,” Asano agrees, taking another sip, “Call me Gakushuu then, Karma-kun.”
Karma grins happily, and loops their arms again. “Sure thing, Gakushuu-kun.”
The bell rings suddenly. Gakushuu startles, losing his grip on the milk. Karma catches the carton and uses the same arm to steady Gakushuu so he doesn’t fall.
“That’s the lunch bell,” he says, “Very loud.”
“You can say that again,” Gakushuu sighs, standing straight. Karma places the carton in his hand again. “Oh!” he says, “Thank you.”
Karma pats the hand around his arm gently. Then remembers they’re in the outside lunch area.
Students start appearing through the doors. The few that notice them are too weary of Karma to actually approach, which Karma is grateful for.
Gakushuu is looking- or, well, he’s moving his head from one noise to the other, curious. “This is the outside lunch hall, I guess,” Karma explains, “Students come out here to eat.”
“Ah,” Gakushuu nods, taking a quick sip of his strawberry milk, “We should probably go. If the principal see's I’ve left the spot he told me to stay at, he’ll throw a fit.”
“Okay,” Karma agrees, then tugs him towards one of the doors. The students outside are watching them now, probably finally recognizing who Gakushuu actually is. He does look a lot like the principal.
They head inside. Karma starts heading to the place he first found Gakushuu, but is stopped when a voice calls out to him.
“Akabane-kun, what are you doing here?”
Karma pauses and turns. Sakakibara and his little posse of friends are striding towards him, looking annoyed.
“Are you not supposed to be here?” Gakushuu whispers, confused.
“Technically?” Karma says, and shrugs, “I’m an E class student.”
“Oh,” Gakushuu says, “What did you do to get sent there?”
“Skipped a few classes, disregarded the rules,” he hums, “Beat up a bunch of students and sent a teacher to the hospital.”
“You did what?”
“Hey,” Seo says, “Who’s beside you?”
Gakushuu waves, but it’s directed more to the left of the group. Karma grabs his hand and moves it so he’s actually waving at them.
“Hello,” he greets, “Who are you?”
“Sakakibara Ren,” Sakakibara says, squinting at Gakushuu, “You’re not a student here, but have we met before? You seem… familiar.”
Karma pokes Gakushuu’s cheek, smiling. “This here is the mini principal.”
The four jolt, blinking. Gakushu pushes his hand away from his face and says, “My name is Asano Gakushuu, not mini principal.”
“Y-You’re the principal's son?!”
“Yes,” Gakushuu sighs, and he takes a sip of his strawberry milk. He frowns slightly and pulls it back, “Oh, I finished it.”
Karma takes the carton and turns to throw it into a nearby trash can. It lands, and he smiles to himself.
“Thank you again,” Gakushuu says, “It tasted good.”
“No problem,” Karma shrugs, then turns to the four still standing awkwardly in front of them, “Anyway, what did you four want?”
“Uh,” Araki says, glancing at Gakushuu, “You’re not supposed to be down here, Akabane-kun.”
“But I got curious when I heard the Principal was bringing the mini principal to school,” he says, “You can’t say you aren’t also curious.”
The four stare at Gakushuu. He tilts his head. “Are they looking at me?” he whispers, “It feels like they’re looking at me.”
“They are,” Karma whispers back, “You’re a very strange phenomenon.”
Gakushuu giggles. Karma finds the noise adorable.
“Well,” Sakakibara coughs, “Uh, I’ve already introduced myself. It’s nice to meet you.”
“I’m Seo Toyama,” Seo introduces.
“I’m Araki Teppei.”
“And I’m Koyama Natsuhiko.”
“Well, it’s nice to meet you all,” Gakushuu says.
“Anyway,” Karma butts in, waving the four off, “I have to take Gakushuu-kun to find the principal.”
Gakushuu nods, “It was nice meeting you all.”
“Hang on, why does Akabane-kun have to come with you?” Seo asks, “He’s an E class student, he shouldn’t have been down here in the first place.”
Karma starts making gestures towards his eyes. He points at them and shakes his head. The four look at him, confused.
He covers his eyes, then looks at them again. They still seem confused.
“Going by the silence and the ruffle of your clothes, you’re making random gestures,” Gakushuu says, and Karma freezes, “You can just say I’m blind.”
Karma chuckles sheepishly, rubbing the back of his head.
“O-Oh!” Sakakibara stutters, “Uh, alright, I suppose Akabane-kun can be excused.”
“Aw, thanks,” Karma says, sarcastically, then turns and tugs Gakushuu along. He follows easily, tilting his head occasionally when someone makes a noise.
“I’m not going to be offended when you say I’m blind,” he chuckles, after they’re both silent for a while, “It’s all right.”
“I know, sorry,” Karma sighs, “I’ve just never met a, uh, blind person before. I’m also not used to being helpful to somebody.”
“Well, you’re being very helpful to me,” Gakushuu says, patting his hand, “Thank you.”
Karma smiles happily. “‘Course!”
—
“I cannot believe-!”
Karma thinks he’ll never be able to see the principal as intimidating anymore.
No. He’s lost all chances at being scary to him with the way he’s clinging onto Gakushuu and scolding him.
“There there,” Gakushuu says, bringing his hand up to pat his head. Only he pats his face. The principal still accepts the affection.
“Akabane-kun,” he says, voice back to its normal bland tone, “You’re coming to my house for dinner.”
Never mind. Karma’s terrified.
“W-What?”
“Yes,” he says, humming thoughtfully, “I’ll cook a large feast. You can sit with Gakushuu while he tells me what you two did together.”
“Dad,” Gakushuu chuckles, “We just went to the garden, and then he bought me strawberry milk. I don’t think Karma-kun wants to come over.”
“He will,” Gakuhou says, staring into Karma’s soul, and then he’s back to the cheerful worrywart, “I told you to stay put! I know you are very capable but I wasn’t going to be long! I was going to tour you around!”
“Uh-huh,” Gakushuu nods, hand actually patting his head now, “Well, there’s still quite a bit of the school I have yet to visit. We can all tour the rest together, okay?”
“Wait,” Karma says, panicked, but Gakushuu throws a hand out and latches onto him. Gakuhou drags Gakushuu along, by extension dragging Karma.
“You’re stuck with us now,” he says, smiling cheekily, “You’ll keep helping me, won’t you?”
Karma really, really wants to say no. What comes out of his mouth is, “Sure, fine.”
Dammit.